Automatic gas pressure relief bottle cap



NOV. 19, 1946. LEUTZ 2,411,216

AUTOMATIC GAS PRESSURE RELIEF BOTTLE GAP Filed March 20, 1944 Inventor Oscar M Leuiz Patented Nov. 19, 1946 AUTOMATIC GAS PRESSURE RELIEF BOTTLECAP Oscar N. Leutz, Pbrt Clinton, Ohio Application March 20, 1944, Serial No. 527,225

This invention relates to bottle closures and particularly caps and has more specific reference to a novel and improved structure characterized by a, safety pressure relief valve, said structure being especially, but not necessarily, 1

adapted for use on bottles and analogous containers for gas producing unfermented wines and the like.

More specifically, the preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by a suitably vented closing and protecting cap and an associated automatic pressure actuated valve arrangement,

the latter being normally closed but being momentarily opened to, relieve excessive gas pressures generated within the interior of the bottle, whereby to at all times preserve the contents of the bottle while overcoming the likelihood of its bursting from abnormal or excessive internally developed pressure.

.In carrying out the principles of pedient construction which is substantially foolproof, highly effective, capable of accomplishing :desired results and otherwise aptly fitted for the intended purposes.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

approximately on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The body of the bottle is denoted by the nu meral 4 and the screw-threaded and beaded neck is indicated at 5. There is an annular collar 6 surrounding the exterior of the neck, this having a channel 1 anchored on the projecting bead. The upper flange of the collar, that is,the flange projecting upwardly and outwardly beyond the bead is screw-threaded to serve as a coupling lip 8. This serves to coact with a screw-threaded rim 9 of the hood-type closing cap Hi. This cap is so proportioned and constructed that the crown portion thereof projects outwardly in spaced relation beyond the mouth or lip of the pourin neck, this as shown in Figure 2. This projecting the invention, .I have evolved and. produced a simple and ex- 2 Claims. (01. 215-56) portion has its side walls provided with gas relief vents or ports H. i i

In the form of the invention shown'in Figure 2, a cork I2 is fitted into the bottle neck, this being provided with a bore to accommodate the pressure release tube or sleeve l3. This tube has its opposite ends projecting beyond corresponding ends of the cork. The upper protruding end of the tube is surrounded by a'packing ring Hi. This upper end serves as a seat for a valve disk [5. The lower end projects into the interior of the bottle, or rather the bottle neck, and serves as a suitable anchoring seat for a spring retention element Hi. This is a cross-pin and is preferably formed with a central eye to function appropriately for attachment of the lower end of the coiled spring I1 thereto; The coiled springhas its upper end connected to the depending shank on the valving disk H). The spring is of a predetermined tension, this to enable the valve means to function when an abnormal or excessive predetermined gas pressure is built up in the interior of the bottle. r l

The uses and main advantages of the invention areasfollows: l f

First, to preserve the contents iii-any container (providing the container has been thoroughly washed and sterilized) if said contents is subject to fermentation. On so many occasions the contents of a container gets sour or, as we sometimes say, spoils. Now this is most always due to the fact that, through neglect or some unforeseen thing, the air comes in contact with the contents in the container and this is the cause of the souring or spoiling,

Second, when a container is sealed tight and its contents is subject to fermentation and when the contents begins to ferment a gas is formed by the process of fermentation and if there is no way of escape for this gas it gradually builds up a pressure so strong that it bursts the container and the contents are lost; or, should it blow the cork or bung before bursting the container, then due to the pressure in the container the contents at times sprays out of the opening (which had been sealed by the cork or bung) giving a person a good impression of a spraying hose or fountain and this too results in a loss, and again if the above just mentioned should happen and if attention is not given to the remainder of the contents (should there by any left) at once and if the air be allowed to come in contact With the remainder in the container then the same condition would exist asmentioned above, namely, sour or spoil.

'under which this automatic gas release cap functions.

After the liquid which is subject to fermentation has been put into a clean sterilized container, be sure and not fill the container full but leave a small air space and then equip this container with this automatic gas release cap and then forget about it. When the contents in the container starts to ferment and as the gas pressure starts to accumulate (due to fermentation) the gas will also accumulate in the tube of this device and when the gas pressure in the containerbecomes greater than the tension on the coil spring, the gas in the tube will automatically lift the valve disc at the top of the tube and escape and when the gas pressure in the container falls below the tension of the coil spring instantaneously the coil spring pulls the valvedisc down and, therefore, seals the vent through which the gas escaped, thus allowing no air into the container for as long as the gas is escaping due to inward pressure, no air can enter into the container and this same procedure is carried out during the entire fermenting period. And at the close of thefermenti-ng period the contents is automatically sealed and remains sealed as long as this automatic gas release cap is not molested Y or disturbed;

Thematerial and size of parts used inthe construction of this device are optional but it is advisable touse material that will not rust or corrode, and as to the size ofthe parts, they must be made in proportion to the size of the tube,

but the size of the tube is also optional and it is also advisable that the tube be of such size as will be best adapted to the container inwhich it is to be inserted.

. ment of details coming within the field of inventlon claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wine bottle having a neck, a cork fitting tightly in said neck and formed with a longitudinal bore, a cap fitting about said neck and having an upper portion projecting upwardly from the neck and formed with a vented head at its upper end, an open-ended tube extending longitudinally through the bore of said cork, and projecting beyond inner and outer ends of the cork, a packing disk fitting tightly about the projecting outer end portion of said tube and bearing against the outer end of said cork, a coil spring ingsaid tube, a valve disc fitting against the outer end of said tube and the outer face of the packing and having an eye extending into the tube, and an anchoring element for the inner end of said spring formed from a strand of stiff wire bent to form an eye extending into the inner end of said tube and engagedwith the inner end of formed therethrough and said bore opening through opposite ends in order to function as a passage between the container portion of the bottle and a special vented closing cap on the exterior of the neck of the bottle, a rigid open-ended tube fitted into said bore, said. tube constituting a lining and valve mount, opposite ends of the tube extending beyond opposite ends of the cork, a packing ring surrounding one projecting end of the tube and resting firmly against the adjacent coacting end of said cork, said packing ring forming with the projecting end of the tube a valve seat, a valve disk-simultaneously engaging the packing ring and" tube, a coiled spring.

mounted in said tube and connected at one end to said valve disk and normally holding the disk 

